Cold-storage house



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(NoModeL) J. B. BROWN.

00m) STORAGE HOUSE.

348. Patented Nov. 30, 1886.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. B. BROWN. 00m) STORAGE HOUSE.

No. 353,348. Patented Nov. 30, 1886.

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JAMIES BARKSDALE BROWN, OF SHELBYVILLE, TENNESSEE.

COLD-STORAGE HOUSE.

SPECIPICATEON forming par; of Letters Patent. No. 353,348, dated November 30, 1886.

Application filed January 27,1886, Serial No. 1 0,959.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, J AMES BARKSDALE BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shelbyville, in the county ofBedi'ord and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cold'Stori'ng Houses, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improvement in houses for storing and preserving fruits, vegetables, &o.; and it consists in the peculiar arrangement and construction of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical 1ongitudinal sectional view of a store-house embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view.

A represents the foundation, which may be of either stone or brick. The lower portion of this foundation, on either side of the vertical portion thereof, extends laterally beyond the lower edge of the vertical portion for the distance of a foot or more, and at a suitable depth in the ground, thus forming a lateral or horizontal flange or base, B, below the foundation.

G represents the outside wall of the house, and D represents theinner wall thereof. These walls may be made of any preferred material, and should be at a distance of six inches or a foot apart, according as circumstances may re quire. At the centers of the end walls are doors E,which are hollow, and are filled with sawdust or other non-conductor. The spaces between the inner and outer walls are also filled with sawdust or other suitable non-conductor. The edges of the doors E are pref erably beveled, and fit in corresponding openings in the end walls. F represents doors, which are composed of open frames covered with wire-gauze. These doors F are hinged on the inner sides of the doors E, and open inwardly, while the doors E are adapted to open outwardly. One of the end walls has a win dow, G, the sash of which has double panes of glass, and the said window is covered on the outside by a shutter, H, hinged at its upper end. A thermometer is suspended inside the by the natural earth.

(No model.)

window and visible therethrough, so that the temperature inside the building may be ascertained by raising the shutter H.

I represents a floor, which forms the top of the stone-conipartnient, and is supported on the upper edges of the inner walls. The side walls are provided near their upper edges with openings K, which extend through both the inner and the outer walls just below the top I, and these openings are provided with double shutters L and L, which are hinged to the outer and inner walls, respectively. The floor of thestoririg-compartmentis formed The house is preferably provided with agable roof, M, which forms an upper compartment, N, above the store-room, and in the sides of the latter, on opposite sides of the alley or passage 0, which extends centrally through the store-room, are a series of co1npartments or bins, P. The partitions R between these bins are made of double thick ness of latticed or other open-work material, which are at asuitable distance apart to admit of the passage of air between and through the partitions, thus serving to thoroughly v entilate the bins.

In one end of the upper compartment, N, is made an opening, S, having a blind or shutter, T, for closing the same.

The inner ends of the bins are formed by removable notched stripsV, which are placed in vertical ways W'. The notches or openings left between the meeting edges of the strips serve to admit air to the ends of the bins. The fruit, vegetables, &c., to be preserved are stored in the bins, and the floor I above the storing-chamber is covered for a suitable depth with sand or sawdust. Fruits and vegetables when first stored undergo a sweating process to get rid of superfluous heat and moisture, and while in this stage the doors E and the windows or openings K are left open at night to admit cool air, the doors F being closed to exclude rats or other animals. When the fruits or vegetables have thoroughly dried and are at the right temperature, the doors E and the windows are closed to keep the air in the store room at the correct temperature. The windows K are opened from ICO time to time to admit of the escape of the heated air from the fruits or vegetables, and to secure proper ventilation.

A store-house thus constructed is perfectly adapted for preserving fruits, vegetables, cider, 850., and for all purposes for which a uniform temperature above the freezing-point is desirable during the Winter.

The lateral base or flange B at the bottom of the foundation prevents rats or mice from burrowing under the foundation and entering the store-house, as I have demonstrated by actual trial.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The store-house having the non-conducting Walls provided with ventilators or openings K, the central passage or alley through the store-house, the bins arranged on each side of the said alley, and the doors made of or filled withnon-conducting material and located at each end of the alley, substantially as described. I

2. The store-house having the inner and per edges of the said inner. and outer Walls,

substantially as described.

3. The store-house having the non-conducting Walls, the central alley or passage through the storehouse, the bins arranged on each side of the said alley, the outer doors, E, at the ends of the alley, and the inner gauze doors, F, located at the ends of the alley and at a slight distance from the inner sides of the doors E, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

J BA RKSDALE BROWN.

Vitnesses:

DAN. W. SHRIVER, J. '1. CANNON. 

